Flames will have to make due without captain Giordano for six-to-eight weeks

Kristen Odland, Calgary Herald10.30.2013

Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano limps into the Saddledome in a walking boot on Sunday to join Curtis Glencross, left, and Mike Cammalleri in modelling the club’s new third jerseys. On Tuesday, the NHL club revealed that Gio will be out six-to-eight weeks with a broken ankle.

The official diagnosis for Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano, who has been walking with an air cast on his right leg since last Monday’s 3-2 road win over the L.A. Kings, is out for six-to-eight weeks with a broken ankle.

Meaning that it could be Christmas before their No. 1 workhorse, defensive anchor, and the team’s heart-and-soul leader returns to the ice. But no matter how irreplaceable Giordano is — just 11 games into the 2013-14 National Hockey League season, to boot — the team is forced to deal with it.

“It’s a huge blow for us and for Gio,” said Flames head coach Bob Hartley after Tuesday’s skate at the Scotiabank Saddledome. “There’s no denying this but at the same time, I can’t get in the room ‘Boys, we lost Gio’ and start crying.

“We have to turn the page and move on and Gio’s still very present.”

In fact, on Tuesday morning, the 30-year-old was the first to speak at the team’s player leadership meeting like he always does. Regardless of his injury, Hartley said he’ll still be around the group and will continue playing a positive role in mentoring the younger players on the rebuilding Flames squad.

But, clearly, it’s not the way Giordano planned to contribute.

“It’s brutal,” he said, addressing the media for the first time since the injury which occurred when he blocked a shot in the second period of Monday’s game versus L.A. “I was pretty disappointed when I heard the news. You almost feel it’s a letdown for the team. But there’s nothing I can do about it now, honestly.

“I wish it didn’t happen, obviously, but I’m just going to try to get better as soon as possible.”

At the time, Giordano said he didn’t think much of the pain and played the remainder of the third period, logging over 28 minutes of ice time at the game’s end. The second period also saw him absorbing a massive hit from Matt Greene and bagging two assists.

The next day the pain started kicking in but he decided to participate in Tuesday’s pre-game skate at Phoenix before officially getting the word.

“I sort of felt it but, honestly, it didn’t feel that bad,” Giordano, who has two goals and seven assists in eight games. “I played the third, but really didn’t feel it much. The next day, in my (skate) boot, I started feeling it. I still didn’t think it was that bad until I got the (CT) scan.”

No, not good news at all.

“It’s brutal,” Giordano said. “You don’t want to miss any time, but if you have to, you’re hoping it’s something not as significant as that time frame. But there’s nothing I can do. Now, I just have to take care of it properly and get back.”

In the meantime, Calgary’s defensive corps will have to fill the void.

Playing the game of his life on Saturday, Kris Russell was a plus-five and scored his first goal as a Calgary Flame in Saturday’s 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals. His defence partner Dennis Wideman was also a plus-five and logged 29:17 on the ice.

Third-year Flames defenceman Chris Butler has been moved into Giordano’s pairing alongside T.J. Brodie while the team summoned Derek Smith from the Abbotsford Heat as the team’s lone recall. Currently, he’s paired with Shane O’Brien. Another bit of bad news hit Calgary’s blueline Tuesday when the team announced Chris Breen was day-to-day with an abdominal wall strain.

Hartley said he’s comfortable using the six defenceman they have available and, because they’re not playing back-to-back games, an immediate call-up won’t be necessary. At the moment, Abbotsford is paying a visit to the Vancouver Canucks’ American Hockey League affiliate in Utica.

Meanwhile, the Flames host the Leafs on Wednesday and the Detroit Red Wings on Friday to close out a three game homestead before hitting the road to Chicago, Minnesota, St. Louis, and Colorado.

So, they’ll pick up the pieces and move forward.

“All those guys, as soon as Gio’s injury was out there, I had a meeting with the entire team and I challenged the entire team,” Hartley said. “If one guy picks up 5 per cent and another guy picks up a 10 per cent and 15 per cent, we might compensate. We have to find a way.

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Flames will have to make due without captain Giordano for six-to-eight weeks

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